Author: Henry Carr
During its spring season, which concluded at the end of March, the women’s rugby team competed valiantly against its opponents in the Southern California Rugby Football Union.
A young team with a majority of first-time players, women’s rugby faced off against larger schools in the league, such as UCLA and USC.
Although they were unable to pick up a win this season, the heart and fierce determination of these women shone every time they took to the field.
Despite their no-win season, the Blackshirts made significant improvement as the season progressed. Their last three games against Claremont, Cal State University Fullerton (CSUF) and USC made up some of the finer performances of the year.
For its second-to-last game, the rugby squad traveled to CSUF to do battle with the Titans. Missing several starters due to injuries and scheduling conflicts, the team was forced to rearrange its lineup, moving several players into unfamiliar positions for the match.
Despite this setback, the team excelled, led by scoring runs from Captain Danielle Siegler (junior) and Lauren Meyer (sophomore). The Blackshirts nearly pulled off a stunning upset, just barely falling short in a heartbreaking 15-12 defeat.
The next weekend, the ruggers headed east to challenge the University of Arizona Wildcats. Unfortunately, while on the highway, one of the team’s cars got into an accident. Although no one was seriously injured, the Blackshirts were forced to turn back and forfeit the match.
Shaken but undeterred, the squad returned home for one last game against USC on the final Saturday evening of March. The Blackshirts fought courageously in the season-ender, but eventually fell 14-41 to the formidable Women of Troy.
Despite the odds stacked against them, the Blackshirts found strength in their connections to their teammates.
“We all clicked very well from the start,” said rugby player Kanika Tua’one (sophomore), who joined the team this year. “It helped that the majority of the team were rookies, so we were able to learn and progress together as a team.”
Under the patient guidance of Coach Maggie Cooper and Siegler, the squad saw some great individual and team improvements over the course of the season.
“We’ve had a ton of new rookies,” said Coach Cooper. “It’s been a fun year of learning with a great bunch of ruggers.”Although rugby has a reputation as an unforgiving sport, the young women on the team express a different sentiment.
“In comparison to other sports, I would have to say it’s the most friendly, oddly enough,” said rookie player Jennefer Canales (sophomore). “After games, you go and bond with the opposing team, which minimizes the anger or dislike you may have built up towards them.”
The Blackshirts will begin next season with a strong foundation, as it is retaining most of its core squad.
Hopefully, with another year of experience under its belt, the women’s rugby team will return next spring ready to exact revenge on the league. Women’s rugby will undoubtedly be a sport to keep an eye on over the next few years.
This article has been archived, for more requests please contact us via the support system.
